Conduit construction



June 29, 1943.

H. B. HOLTHOUSE CONDUIT CONSTRUCTION Filed Nov. 2?, 1941 .the complete structure during operation.

Patented June 29, 1943 CONDUIT CONSTRUCTION Harry B. HolthouSe, Chicago, Ill., assigrior to Galvin M f t r ora ion, h EQ 1 a corporation of Illinois H Appli a ion Novc 27, 19.41. efial N9. 42051.15

3 Claim s. (Cl.1 38+53.)

This invention relates generally to conduit means and "particularly to means for carrying a conditioried fiuid, namely fiuid either heated or co,oied relative to room or outside temporatures, which is adapted to be infiated when carrying the fiuid and collapsible When not carrying the fiuid so as to be roiled or folded into a small compact package for transport.

Flexible conduit means for carrying conditioned fiuid, such as air, are particularly applicabie for what might be called temporary installations, such as in the air connection of a conditioning unit With the cabin of an airplane, the packing space in a truck, or the passenger space in a railroad car when these mobile crafts are standing by. The fiexibility in some of the prior art conduit structures employing a single conduit isv gen erally accomplished by the positioning of supporting hoops or the like within the conduit wall or in a supporting relation about the conduit wall. In other prior art structures utilizing two conduits concentricaily arranged with one Within the other and radially spaced to provide an insulating air space therebetwecn hoops or the like are usually positioned betwcen the two conduits to define suchinsulatingspace and support although these prier art conduit.stuctures are flexible they are non-collapsible and hence are bulky and: clumsy to handle, and carry about.- Funther, when not in use they are incapable of being foided or rolled into a compact unit so that the large space required for their keeping is such as topreclude their being carried on the conditioning unit With which they are to 'be connected. A further objection to these prior art flexible conduits is that their construction generally provides for excessive thermal losses therein When the conditioned air is to be transmitted over an appreciabie distance.

It is an object of this invention, therefore, to provide improved conduit means for carrying ccnditioned fiuid..

Another object of this invention is .to provide conduit means for -carrying conditioned air, which is coilapsiblewhen.not in use so as to be rolled fiat.into a small compact bundle, and inflatable when in use bythe air passing chercthrough. 1

A feature of this. invention is found in the provision of coilapsibie means for carrying conditioned air which is comprised of a pair of inflatable conduits one of which is. arranged withr inthe other, with the inner conduit carrying the air and the outer conduit. being in air communi- Thus cation With. the inner conduit and adapted to retain the air entering therein to form an air 111- this invention wi1 l become apparent from the following description when taken in connection With the accompanying drawing in which;

Fig. 1 is an elevational view of the air carrying means of this invention showing the conduit portions thereof in, an infiated condition, ith a portion of" the air carrying means being shown in section for the purpose of clarity;

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view as se en along the line 2723 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 shows.the conduit means of Fig. 1 whe n collapsed and folded into. a compact bundle for transport; and Fig. 4 is a modified form of the invention. With reference to Fig. 1 of the drawing the conduit or air carrying structure of this inven-- A M and L6zof the conduits 1 and, 8., reSDBQi Y, at the inlet 9; are connected together in a r;a

dially spaced relation through a separat ing ring l1 having'aperturcsl 8 peripheraily spaced therein (Fig. 2). As 15 c 1early illustrated'in Fig, 1. the end l4 of the inner conduit I- terminates at the ring I8, withthe slip ring la of the bayonet assembly l3 being carried on the end [5 of the outer conduit 8 which extends. beyond the inner conduit end [4.

The outlet,2l of the conduit structure 6 isp ro vided With a nozzle 22 insertedj Within the end 23 of inner conduit I, the corresponding end 24 of the outer conduit 8 being connected With the inner conduit end 23- in an airtight connection about the insert 22, by a clamping or retaining ring 26. It is,evident, therefore, that both of the conduits 1 and 8 are in, fiuid communication With the air source l2; With the. air er itering the conduit l passing through the structure 6 and outwaxdiy therefrcm at the nozzl e 2;2. However, by vintue of the sealed engagement of the corresponding ends 23 and 24 of the inner and from, and conversely to be easily inflatable When air is passed therein.

As shown in Fig. 1 the conduit means 6 is shown in an infiated condition corresponding to a passage of air therethrcugh from the air condition. ing unit l2. This air inflates the inner conduit 1 and also the outer conduit 8 by passage of a portion thereof through the apertures l8. Be-

cause of the sealed end 24 the air entering th.

outer conduit 8 is retained therein to provide an air'space 21 about the inner conduit 1. By virtue of the light weight construction of the conduits :6 and I, and the passage of air through each thereof from the same source, substantially equal pressures are exerted on the opposite periphcral -Surfaces of the inner conduit! so that the an- 'nular space 21 formed between the conduits 1 and 8 is maintained substantitlly uniform over theehtire length of the conduit structure 6. The conduits 1 and 8 are thus substaritially equally separated at all points along their respective dengths by the air insulating space 21. This insulating space 21 is maintained intact even though the conduit structure 6 may be bent arcund at substantially right angles. It is seen, threfore, that the inner conduit 1 acts to carry the conditioned air through the conduit structure 6, while the outer conduit 8 acts t retain a portion of the air in an insulating space 21 about the inner conduit 1. This insulating space provides for a transfer of the conditioned air through the conduit structure 6 with minimum thermal losses so that the air from the conditioning unit l2. can be carried appreciably long dis tances without a great deal of change in the temperaturetherecf. Thermal losses may be further reduced by painting the inner peripheml surfaces of: the conduits 1 and 8 with aluminum or like 'paint, as indicated at 25 (Fig. 1). On shutting down of the air conditioning unit l2 the conduits land 8 are completely collapsible .by virtue of their light weight construction. -Because of the complete elimination of any supportirigmembers between the ends of conduits 1 and -8, the conduit structure is thus adapted to be rolled or folded into a small compact bundie as illustrated in Fig. 3. Since the radial spacing between the conduits 1 and 8 and. their inflation -.during operaticn is accomplished entirely by the air carried t 1eIein the conduits 1 and 8 areireely foldable over their entire lengths. Thus when the conduit structure 6 is not in use it may be packed or stored away in a VeI small space, which space may be provided onthe air conditioning unit itself. This package carrying of the #conduit structure 6 facilitates its handling relative to the conditioning unit with which it may loe operatively associated, and further because of its very light weight is readily manipulated "for connection with the space in a mobile c'raft or the like, which is to be conditioned.

In the modified form of the invention shown in Fig. 4 the inner conduit? is illustrated as positioried Within,andeXtendedthrcugh the outer or air retaining conduit 8, the inlet 9 being adapted for connection with a source of conditioned air and the outlet of the conduit structure 6' being indicated at 2l. The opposite ends 28 and 29 of the outer conduit 8 are connected in air tight engagement with the outer periphery of the inner conduit T between the inlet 9 and outlet 2l', thereof. Provided in the inner conduit 1 and Within the length thereof between the ends 28 and 29 of the outer conduit 8 are apertures 3l for air connecting the two conduits 1 and 8. As shown in Fig. 4 the apertures 3! are circularly arranged in the conduit 1' near each and 28 and 29 of the outer conduit 8. However, it is to be understood that one circle of apertures 3l at either end 28 or 29 may be used to air communicate the conduits I and 8.

The conduits 1 and 8 are constructed similarly to the conduits 1 and 8, previously described in connection with Fig. 1, and are shown in Fig. 4 in an infiated condition. The air from a source of air is first admitted into the inlet 9' and infiates the conduit i, with a portion of such air passing into the conduit 8' through the apertures 31 to inflate the same and form an annular insulating air space 21 about the conduit 1. Where two rings of apertures 31 are used a small fiow of air will occur in the annular space 27, but because of the limited flow of this air the air space 2i'-will be continuously retained. Where a single ring of apertures 3l is used the air entering the conduit 8 through such single circle of apertures is retained therein. Instead of providing a plurality of apertures 3! in the inner conduit portion 1, the conduit 1 may be of such a construction that the porosity thereof permits sufficicnt air to fiow therethrough into the outer conduit 8 to provide the air insuiating space 21'.

When air is withdrawn fromthe conduit structure 6 the conduits I and 8 are completely collapsible so as to be adapted for rolling or folding in the manner above described for the conduit structure 6 of Fig. 1.

From a consideration of the above description and drawing, thereior, it is seen that the invention provides means for carrying conditioned air comprising a pair of inflatable conduits one of which is arranged within the other. The inner conduit which carries the air, is in a spaced relation with the outer conduit and in air connection therewith. The air being carried in the conduit structure alone acts to infiate and support the structure in an operating condition,

while also acting on the outer conduit to provide an insulating air space entircly aboutthe inner conduit. By virtue of this air insulating space the conduit structure is capable of transmitting conditioned air over appreciably long distances with minimum thermal lossesduring such transmission. The light weight construction of the conduits provides for their being completely collapsible so as to be easily rolled or folded into a compact bundle for transport or storing. Although air has been generally referred to throughout the specification in describing the conduit means of this invention itis apparent that the invention may also be used 'to efliciently carry conditioned water or a like fiu'id since the conduits thereof are waterproof.

It is understood also that aithough the present invention has been described, with specific reference to several embodimentsthcreof it is not tobe-so limited.since changes can be made thercin which are within the full intended scope of this invention as defined by the appended claims.

I daim:

1. Means for carrying a temperature conditioned fluid} including a pair of collapsible tubes, one of wiiich is positioned within the other, means corinecting the opposite ends of said other tube with said one tube, with the opposite ends of said one tube being open for the flow cf fluid therethrough, and a portion of said fiuid being directed within said other tube, with the fluid in the said two tubes infiating the same in a concntric relation and being the sole means for supporting said two tubes in said concentric relation, 'and the fluid in said other tube providing an annular fluid filled insulating chamber about said one tube, said two tubes being deflatable so as to lie in a substantially fiat form adapted for overlapping folding into a compact bundle.

2. Conduit means for carrying conditioned air comprising a pair of collapsible tubes, one of which is positioned within the other, means connecting opposite ends of said other tube about the outer periphery of said one tube, with said one tube having the opposite ends thereof open to permit the flow of conditioned air therethrough, said one tube having openings therein between the ends of said other tube to permit the passage of a portion of the air from said one tube between said two tubes. with the air flowing through said one tube and the portion of air passing between said two tubes inflating said two tubes and being the sole means for supporting the same in a concentric arrangement, the flow of air between said two tubes being less than the fiow of air through said one tube to provide an annular air-filled insulating chamber about said one tube, said two tubes being deflatable so as to lie in a substantially fiat form adapted for overlapping folding into a compact bundie. v

3. Conduit means for carrying temperature conditioned air including a pair of collapsible tubes one of which is p0sitioned Within the other, said one tube having the opposite ends thereof open for the fioW of air therethrough and said other tube having one end thereof in sealed engagement about the periphery of said one tube at an end thereof, apertured means connecting the opposite corresponding ends of said two tubes, and means for connecting said conduit means at said opposite corresponding ends of said two tubes to a source of conditioned air so that the air from said source enters apertures of said apertured means and said one tube for infiating said tubes and being the sole means for supporting the same in concentric relation, with the air entering said other tube through said apertured means being retained between said two tubes and providing a thermally insulating air-filled pocket about said one tube, said two tubes being deflatable so as to lie in a substantia1ly fiat form adapted for overlapping 1olding into a. compact bundle.

HARRY B. HOLTHOSE. 

